Our 3rd Anniversary festivities were filled with good memories and great people, making it a perfect celebration. Saturday, March 2nd, under overcast skies, we brought the sunshine to our corner of the world at Foot Soldiers Park and Education Center. From 1 PM until 4 PM, attendees enjoyed food, music from DJ Double J and the Clutch Band, games, and simply gathering together as a community. We had everything from a fun-for-all Kid Zone to a voter participation rally.
Our guest speaker, Senator Robert Stewart, inspired the people of our community with a positive, encouraging message. He also made it a point to recognize the efforts of our Youth Advisory Board, asking them to stand for a round of applause!
Our main focus of the day is honoring our foot soldiers. Without them and the selfless sacrifices they made, there would be no cause for celebration. Each year, we have set aside time to say thank you. Our 2024 honorees were:
Posthumously:
- Leroy Molton
- Margaret Moore-Jones
- Lula Sharpe-Parrish
Onsite:
- Ruth Anthony
- Phyllis Parrish-Alston
- Joyce Nadine Parrish-O’Neil
Honors for our heroes of the past were coupled with recognition of our heroes of the present. Robert Ramsey, Jr. accepted the award for the bikers who stepped up following the January 2023 tornado that left devastation all around our city. The bikers were a beacon of hope in the wake of the disaster, delivering supplies for the citizens of Selma who lost so much in the storm.
It takes a lot of hands, hearts, and minds to make our organization flourish. We gratefully honor our board for the work they do behind the scenes. Special spotlight to our board members who were able to be on the ground in Selma for the anniversary, including our Board Chair Donovan Duncan and board members Nikole Hannah-Jones and Larcy Douglas, who were also in attendance.
The halls of the Lighthouse Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center were decked to mark the holiday season as the seniors gathered with our National Youth Advisory Board members and staff to celebrate.
During the evening, the seniors enjoyed singing carols, playing games, and receiving special gifts.
Thanks to generous donations from Rural Health Medical Program, Inc., Councilwoman Jannie Thomas, Councilman Clay Carmichael, Mrs. Eboni Thomas Pettway, Mrs. Billye Smitherman, and Alexis Perry, the guests of honor received gift bags filled with essentials they love. We were even able to put gifts under the tree for the seniors who were unable to attend.
The environment was overflowing with love. In a heartwarming gesture, the Foot Soldiers Park team led by Founder, JoAnne Bland, CEO Kimberly Smitherman, and Program Director, Angela Benjamin, personally adopted residents whose names had not yet been chosen from the Angel Tree to ensure everyone was included in the holiday cheer!
We are grateful for the opportunity to bring happiness to these seniors and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in our community not just during the holidays, but every day!